Hakuba Happo-One

Panorama is the wide, mid-mountain area you reach via the Adam gondola or Kokusai #1 lift. The elevation keeps the snow consistent, and the open terrain makes it comfortable for all levels. My 5-year-old daughter was skiing here in her very first lesson season. If you're not confident on the way down, take the gondola back to the base — the descent trails are oddly steep for what the resort calls "beginner" routes.

Happo is a skier's mountain. Steep fall lines, natural mogul fields, and the original Olympic downhill course give it a character you won't find at most Hakuba resorts. If your group is snowboard-only, you'll have more fun at Hakuba 47 or Goryu, where the parks and flow trails are much better.

Happo fans out wide at the base — Sakka, Kokusai, Nakiyama, and the gondola station are all in different spots. Moving between them means going up the mountain first, traversing across, then coming back down. A quick side trip to the Olympic course from Sakka can eat 45 minutes in lift time alone. The gondola also shuts down in strong wind more often than any other Hakuba resort, so always have a backup plan (Hakuba 47 handles wind much better).